


Devil From the Shadows

by blingeekingdave



Category: Devilman (Anime & Manga), Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Bakura Ryou Is Not A Woobie, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Devilman!Bakura Ryou, Fix-It of Sorts, Fudo Akira Is A Crybaby, M/M, gimme a chance i wont let you down, listen hear me out ive thought this through
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-19 12:29:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13704489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blingeekingdave/pseuds/blingeekingdave
Summary: Zorc Necrophades was defeated, but he isn't gone. Ryou Bakura learns this the hard way.On the bright side, Ryo Asuka's new method for predicting demonic activity was a success.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know that the pairing sounds wild and self indulgent, and while it most certainly is, I need you to trust me. I swear to god I've thought this through, and it works.

Sometimes, people have the same or similar names. It was just something that happened, and Akira was fairly accustomed to it, being on the track team with two Mikis. There were always workarounds, such as nicknames or using family names. It wasn't something he'd call a problem. Though, to be fair, he'd never been in the situation himself. Akira wasn't really sure why he was thinking about it, but he was bored, waiting in Ryo’s apartment. For some reason, Ryo wasn't there when he showed up. It had him curious what his best friend was up to. This was the first time Ryo wasn't there to greet Akira.

“The fucking nerve!”

The sudden shouting startled Akira, and he jumped up from his seat to go and greet Ryo. “Hey! Where have you been?”

“Ah, Akira, good to see you here,” Ryo said pleasantly. This was quickly followed by his expression turning sour. “The fucking nerve. Ugh. There was a person of interest I was investigating. I ended up roped into interacting with him, and he was quite possibly the most frustrating person I've ever spoken to.”

“Why's that?”

“He was just--" Ryo cut himself off, seemingly struggling with his words. Akira could only watch on with surprise clear on his face. Usually Ryo was only ever calm and collected. “It was impossible to intimidate that man. I put my gun in his face, and he just smiled at me and shrugged. I'd like to call him crazy, but that wasn't what it was. It wasn't disregard, Akira, it was resignation.”

“The gun didn't scare him?” Akira wasn't sure how believable that was, but Ryo wouldn't lie to him.

“Not even a flinch. I'm going to have to keep tabs on this man now.” Ryo seemed perfectly annoyed, but the declaration struck Akira as odd. He didn't know that Ryo kept tabs on anyone other than himself. ”He was too bizarre to ignore when there are demons everywhere.”

“What was his name?” All of Ryo’s assertions had Akira extremely curious, and he was thinking of trying to Google this guy.

Ryo seemed to hesitate before answering. “It's not important.”

“Ryo, c’mon,” Akira whined, moving closer. “You got me all curious and stuff.”

“Bakura."

“Just Bakura?”

For a split second, Akira could have sworn he saw a pout on Ryo’s face. “Ryou Bakura.”

“You have the same name! That's cool,” Akira said with a grin, but he quickly deflated when Ryo directed a glare at him.

“More like annoying,” Ryo spat. “More like troublesome.”

“Man, I don't think I've seen you care this much about someone aside from me,” Akira said, leaning over and peering at Ryo’s face. He was promptly shooed away.

“Please, I could care less about that man,” Ryo said with a sneer, crossing his arms. “The only reason he matters at all is because he seems like a likely target for possession.”

“If you say so.”

Akira failed to hold back a chuckle, and it earned him a smack on his arm.

\-----

“He held a gun to your face?!”

“It's fine! I'm not hurt.” Ryou Bakura had his hands raised defensively as he tried to reassure Jounochi. “He didn't hurt me. It was weird and a little scary, but he didn't hurt me.”

When you had an encounter as strange as Ryou had had earlier that day, the only thing to do was to tell your friends, right? At least, that had seemed like the thing to do. Yugi and the rest of his friends were all regarding him with various degrees of shock and concern.

Back in the moment, Ryou never really thought the man was going to shoot him. He just seemed annoyed and like he had wanted a reaction. Ryou supposed the man was probably mad that he and his puffy white coat had been spotted following him. It did tend to upset people when their plans were ruined. It also didn't help that Ryou had made a point to then approach the man.

To Ryou, the real tragedy was that he never got his stalker’s name.

“I promise, I'm fine,” Ryou said, doing his best to try and convince his friends it was true.

“Bakura,” Honda said. “It might be for the best if you let one of us know when you're going out. At least for the next few days.”

“I don't know,” Ryou said, scratching his cheek. “That seems excessive.”

“Ryou! He had a gun!” Jounochi yelled.

Sighing, Ryou resigned himself to this being what the rest of his evening was going to be like.

\-----

Later that night, Ryo Asuka could be found typing furiously on his laptop. Akira had fallen asleep after eating his fill, and the weight of him was heavy against Ryo’s shoulder. He knew deep within himself that there was going to be a drool stain on his designer jacket by the time he bothered to push Akira away. It was a sacrifice that he was apparently willing to make for his best friend.

Ryou Bakura. Bakura Ryou.

Something about the name seemed familiar, but he quickly dismissed it as coincidence. The only time he’d come across the name was in his recent research. Ryo had a fairly comprehensive record of demonic activity in the area, but he recently decided to make a search algorithm that would flag persons of interest. In other words, humans who seemed to have targets on their backs. Ryou Bakura had been the first person that he had been alerted to, and it was only shortly after he had put the algorithm in place. Now that he was taking a closer look, Ryo could see why.

The first few results that showed up when searching for ‘Ryou Bakura,’ be it in English or in Japanese, all hinted at rumors of possession. There were pictures. There was fuzzy video from whatever game tournament all these rumors seemed to revolve around. Ryo wanted to see more, but Kaiba Corp’s security was a bit much even for him.

“Mmph. What’cha looking at, Ryo?”

Startled, Ryo slammed his laptop shut. Not only had he not noticed Akira stirring, but he realized he had been staring at a picture of Ryou Bakura. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Akira groaned, and Ryo felt the pressure of his friend pressing his face into the crook of his neck. It was all well and good and endearing, but Ryo still felt mortified at having spent so much time staring at that nuisance.

He’d been the one to barge into Bakura’s life, and Ryo acknowledged that. Now, though, he wanted to walk away. It was impossible now. Ryou Bakura was too much of a character, and he was probably going to get possessed by a demon.

Such is the way of the world.

\-----

The next day, Ryou went to the grocery store. He went to the grocery store and Hiroto Honda went there with him. Wishing to alleviate his friends’ worries, Ryou informed them when he decided it would be a good time to go grocery shopping. He believed that the conversation should have ended there, but Honda insisted on going with him. Something bad always happened to Ryou Bakura, after all. Clearly, he wouldn’t be able to handle it himself. Clearly. Ryou went to the grocery story, and Honda was helping to carry back his purchases.

“Thank you for carrying some of the bags. I would have been able to do it myself, so you really didn’t need to,” Ryou said, maintaining his polite air.

“Don’t sweat it, Bakura. I invited myself to come with so it’s the least I can do.” Honda grinned brightly at him. At least he admitted he had invited himself along.

They were about halfway back to Ryou’s apartment when he felt eyes on him, just like he had the day before. Slowing his pace, he looked over his shoulder and locked eyes with the a blond man. Just like he had the day before. He sighed, and Honda stopped next to him, following his line of sight. Ryou and the blond man were apparently having some sort of staring contest, and Honda kept looking back and forth between the two.

Quite done with this nonsense, Ryou waved at the man, who promptly scowled and turned away.

“Wait-- Bakura, was that the guy from yesterday?” Honda was now thoroughly alerted, and he nudged Ryou’s back to get him to start walking again.

“I believe so, but nothing happened,” Ryou said, already defensive. “Nothing happened, and it doesn’t seem like anything is going to happen, either.”

The man had now retreated, but Ryou and Honda were unaware that he was now listening to their conversation through Ryou’s phone.

“Why did you wave at him? He threatened you.” Honda did nothing to hide his discomfort and concern, and it seemed rather clear he was unhappy with Ryou’s nonchalant response. “You don’t just wave at people who threaten you.”

“You say that, but Marik is responsible for me getting stabbed and electrocuted, and we’re all friends with him,” Ryou countered, allowing some of his annoyance to slip. That seemed to do the job, and Honda didn’t make another comment for the rest of the walk back to Ryou’s apartment.

Honda helped bring in the grocery bags that he had been carrying, and he distinctly had a look on his face like he had more to say. Ryou, however, was done having company for the day.

“Thank you for your help, Honda,” Ryou said, cutting his friend off before he could speak. “If you don’t mind, I can take it from here. I think I’m done having company for the day.”

Honda definitely wasn’t happy, but he conceded. “Alright, Bakura. You can call me if anything happens, okay?”

“I appreciate it.” Ryou really did mean it, but he was also in a bit of a hurry to be alone again. It was a relief when he closed the door and turned the lock. For a moment, he simply stood with his back to the door. He couldn’t stay like that for long, though. There were groceries to put away.

\-----

Hours passed. Groceries were put away. Various chores were completed.

The night was coming to a close for Ryou Bakura, and he was spending these moment before he went to bed sitting on the floor surrounded by the cards that made up his Duel Monsters deck.

“Do I really need more than one Headless Knight?” he muttered to himself, picking up one of the cards to look at it more closely. “I’m not sure what I’d replace it with.”

It had been a long time since Ryou had last gone through his deck. The past year had been calm, for once. He had friends, and no one was losing their soul because of a card game. There were a lot of bad memories that he had associated with dueling, but at the same time, he didn’t think he’d ever be able to fully abandon Duel Monsters. It was far too ingrained in him.

“I’m not going to change anything, am I?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Ryou spotted something. Half hidden in the shadow of his desk was a Duel Monsters card. He had to wonder how he hadn’t seen it hidden there already. Humming, he stretched over the piles of cards surrounding him, picking up the one that had gotten away.

He saw what it was, and for a moment, Ryou could do nothing but stare. “Zorc Necrophades.”

The words slid off his tongue, but he had nearly stuttered them. He was struck with the feeling that something was very wrong. Had he ever even had this card before? How did it get in his room? Ryou’s breaths were becoming shorter and more labored. He pushed himself up to his feet in a panic, nearly slipping on his own cards. Zorc’s card was still being firmly held in his hand.

“No,” he gasped, grabbing at his chest with his free hand. It was the same spot where the ring had sank into his skin so many times in the past. “No. The Pharaoh beat you. The Pharaoh beat you, and you’re gone now.”

The more he spoke, the more frantic he sounded. The shock of something he couldn’t identify ran down his spine, and Ryou hunched over himself.

“You don’t get to have me again!” he gasped between ragged breaths. “I’m stronger now than I was before!”

Ryou was fighting with all his heart, but the shadows burrowed into his skin, and he screamed.

He screamed, and his stalker heard it, too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryou Bakura hits a tipping point, and Ryo Asuka is not happy about it. At least Akira is there to be optimistic.

Call it simple curiosity, but Ryo was listening in through Bakura’s phone when Akira came over for the night for his second dinner and to generally hang out. He only had it on in the background, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn it off. Call it a hunch. After he had been spotted for a second goddamn time, he got to listen in on about ten seconds of something incredibly interesting. Everything else he heard had been painfully dull. Still, Ryo had a feeling about this.

“Ryo, I’m bored,” Akira whined, and he flopped over Ryo’s lap and also his arms, which was proving to make typing difficult.

“Maybe if you’re patient, another demon will pop up, and you’ll have something to do.”

With incredibly convenient timing, Ryo started picking up something interesting from Bakura’s phone, and he turned up the volume,

_“-orc Necrophades.”_

_"The Pharaoh beat you.”_

_"You don’t get to have me again!”_

The speaking stopped soon after because it had been replaced with pained screaming. An impish grin spread across Ryo’s face, and tears prickled the corners of Akira’s eyes.

“Your wish came true, Akira.” Ryo pushed Akira up and off of his lap, gesturing for him to follow. “Come on, I’m driving. Ah, such a beautiful algorithm; it’s already working.”

“Ryo?” Akira followed quickly behind, looking troubled. He’d get over it in a bit. “Was that the, uh, that other Ryou guy?”

“It was,” he confirmed. “I'm surprised at how quickly the situation has progressed, since I was still only gathering information in between my other work. This Bakura character might be a fluke, but that's not important right now. We have a demon to exterminate, Akira.”

They wasted no time getting into Ryo’s car. The coordinates were already in the GPS, and they were off the moment Ryo’s lead foot came down onto the gas.

Something about how Ryo was behaving was throwing Akira off. His friend was still very to the point about their business, but this kind of excitement wasn't typical. Granted, it might not look like much of a difference to anyone other than Akira. He knew Ryo better than anyone else, or at least he liked to think so. Maybe he shouldn't be worrying about it, though. The excitement didn't seem like a bad thing, and Ryo’s driving wasn't anymore crazier than any other time.

Akira zoned out for the rest of the drive, coming to when Ryo alerted him that they had arrived. “This is his apartment building. We'll get in and go up to his unit. That's where we'll start looking for a trail,” Ryo said, laying out the plan. “For all we know, the demon could still be in there trashing the place before it goes hunting.”

Ryo lead them through the building after getting a confirmative nod from Akira. It was crude, but they got in by ringing every unit until someone buzzed them in. Ryo was soon knocking on the door of Bakura’s unit regardless, so there had been no need to do anything more complicated than what they did.

“I don’t hear anything.” Ryo tutted and guided Akira towards the door. “Bust the door in. In all likelihood, the inside is already trashed in some way.”

“Can do,” Akira said, cracking his knuckles. He proceeded to take a step back and kick open the door.

The inside of the apartment was in a sort of disarray, but it wasn't as bad as Ryo implied it would be. Running in, Akira saw crystals and playing cards on the ground. He entered the bedroom and saw the contents of a table had been upturned, a number of books and candles knocked over onto the ground. Akira could hear Ryo coming up behind him, but he noticed the broken bedroom window in the same instant. Just as Ryo caught up to him, Akira impulsively rushed forward and jumped out the window, halfway transforming as he fell.

It had to lead to Bakura, Right? It was a good, if not obvious, guess. Akira landed in the back alley of the apartment, and his attention was instantly brought to the panting, hunched over form of what presumably was once Ryou Bakura.

“Kill it!” He heard Ryo give the order from the bedroom window.

“Stay away from me!” That was the anguished cry that came from the hunched form, and looking closer brought Akira pause. 

What Akira saw wasn't the usual twisted body he had grown to expect from possessed humans. Instead, it reminded him of his own Devilman form, ignoring the dark energy that seemed to be swirling around. Bakura’s body was still humanoid, sporting two sets of horns, jagged wings, and a scaled, segmented tail. The torso was bare and still looked human, just like his.

“Akira!” Ryo called from the window again.

“I don't want to hurt anyone else!” Bakura cried.

“Wait!” Akira yelled, finally speaking. “Wait, I think he's fighting it.”

Akira wasn't looking, so he couldn't see it, but Ryo was pissed. He was staring down at the scene from the window, and he was mad that Akira was right. He was mad that he'd have to wait for Bakura to succumb before he could get Akira to fight. What Akira was hoping for was a waste because only Akira himself was meant to become a Devilman.  
Scowling, Ryo climbed out the window himself, getting onto the fire escape and making his way down.

“You can fight it,” Akira cheered Bakura on with hope in his heart. “You can win!”

Bakura screamed, and that's when it all snapped.

It was almost anticlimactic. The scream was cut off, and Bakura dropped to the ground, demon bits gone. The horns and all the rest of it was just gone. Ryo landed in the alley, and he wasn't pleased with what he saw. Ryou Bakura was still breathing, and his appearance was now altered from how it had been before. This wasn't supposed to happen.

“He did it,” Akira exclaimed after he made sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. In an instant, he had run over to Bakura.

“This wasn't supposed to happen.” Ryo said it out loud this time through gritted teeth. “This shouldn't have been possible, and now we have to deal with him. Akira, get him to the car. You're in the back seat with him, so he doesn't get away.”

“Got it,” Akira replied. He was grinning, but he couldn't help it. Someone else had finally managed to beat their demon like he had, and the joy that filled him almost made him feel high. He lifted Bakura up in his arms and ran back to the car. It probably looked a little funny since they were both without shirts from their transformations. Akira slid into the back seat with Bakura, and Ryo was already ready to go.

Unfortunately, Bakura came to as the car lurched forward.

Ryou started awake with his heart pounding in his chest. The past half hour or so had gone by in a dazed blur of panic and struggle. He was struck by the distinct feeling that he had changed. Taking in his surroundings did nothing to help how disoriented he was feeling.

When he jolted awake, he found himself strapped into the back of a strange car with a strange man holding onto his upper arm. The man looked concerned, but Ryou failed to find and comfort in that. His eyes darted to the driver, and, even dazed, he recognized him as his stalker.

“What--" Ryou yelped, instinctively trying to back away from the men who were, for all intents and purposes, kidnapping him. However, the man in the back with him just moved closer. There were hands on both of his arms now, as though this man had the nerve to try and steady him. “Who are you? Let me go!”

“Hey, it's okay. You're safe,” said the man holding him back as though it wasn't a blatant lie.

“Shut up, I'm driving.” His stalker shouted back at them from the front. The car turned sharply, and Ryou would have jumped out of his skin if not for the man who now had wrapped his arms around Ryou to keep him still. They were going to die. His stalker drove like a madman, and they were going to die, and he couldn't breathe--

“Fuck. Hey, um, Bakura. It's okay, we aren't going to hurt you.” A sniff. “You're gonna pass out again if you keep breathing so fast.”

There was a man, who knew his name, crying and holding him, and they were all going to die in this car. They were both shirtless, too, which was just fantastic. Ryou squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to ignore the sharp movement's of the car and the nausea in his gut. That's how the rest of the ride went for him.

\-----

Ryou had no idea how long he was in that metal death machine for, but he had been blocking out his surroundings entirely up until he felt himself being lifted out of the car.

“Let me go,” he protested, trying to wrestle his way out of the man's grip. Unfortunately, he was exhausted, and this man was strong.

“Hurry up, Akira, you're going to attract attention,” Ryo Asuka spoke tersely, annoyed. Everything had seemed to be going as planned, and then Bakura had to go and be special. Akira appeared to be having a small bit of trouble keeping a hold on their newly acquired burden, but Bakura was clearly weakened at the moment. “Regrettably, I won't be hurting you, Ryou Bakura, so don't fucking scream.”

To mitigate risks, they still moved up to the penthouse quickly.

Akira gently set Bakura down on one of the clean, white couches, and he seemed to get a handle on his surroundings again.

“You kidnapped me!” Ryou shouted, eyes darting between Akira and his stalker. “Who the fuck are you?”

“I'm Akira,” said the man that had carried Ryou, and he sat down next to him. For some god forsaken reason, he seemed excited. Ryou desperately wanted to call Honda or Yugi or anyone, really. His phone was abandoned back at his apartment.

“I am Dr. Ryo Asuka,” said Ryou’s stalker, who apparently had the same name as him. It was clear he didn't want to be introducing himself. Ryo was sat on an entirely separate couch from Ryou and Akira. “Are you aware of what's happened to you, Bakura?”

“I've been kidnapped,” Ryou spat. While he was angry, Ryou wasn't stupid enough to not realize he was being asked about what happened prior to his kidnapping. However, he wasn't going to just tell these strangers about Zorc.

“You've been possessed by a demon,” Ryo said, giving it back just as harshly as Ryou sent it.

Ryou Bakura remained surprisingly unfazed.

“Do you not remember what happened before you woke up in the car?”

“I do remember,” Bakura said, crossing his arms. “What does it have to do with you?”

“You're like me, now,” Akira cut in, seemingly unaware of the tension in the room. “You're a devilman.”

“Oh, funny, that didn't happen the last time I was possessed,” Bakura drawled. Immediately, he berated himself internally. He was making poor decisions in his frazzled state.

“You know the demon who possessed you, do you not?” Asuka asked with a smugness about him. “What did you call him, Zorc Necrophades?”

“How the bloody fuck do you know that name, you stalker?” Bakura was shouting, and he had move to stand up. Akira pulled him back before he could and he huffed angrily.

“Call it whatever you want, it doesn't matter. Akira was right, though, you appear to be a devilman now. Good for you.” Asuka leaned forward his his hands folded in front of him. “This Zorc Necrophades tried to take over your body and failed. Instead, you retained your human heart. Your body has changed, and you can transform into your demon. Akira is the same.”

“What do you mean, my body is different?” Before Bakura could get a reply, Akira was holding a phone in front of his face with the camera on. After a second of silence, Akira remembered to change it to the front facing camera. Bakura ended up muttering his next thought out loud. “I look like him.”

He stared at the image of his face. The edges of his face and his eyes were sharper. It wasn't a trick of the eye, either, like it had been with the spirit. If Bakura couldn't see himself blinking, he would have thought he was looking at a picture where someone had placed a shadowed filter over his skin. He didn't see a scar, but he reached up to touch his cheek anyway.

“Who?” Akira asked, leaning in closer. This action brought Bakura out of his trance, and he leaned away, himself.

“Bakura,” Asuka snapped, getting Ryou’s attention again. “I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation here. In my research, I've discovered that demons have been possessing humans and taking over their body’s. This is the cause of the rise in unusually violent murders. Akira became a devilman to fight the demons. Unfortunately, since you went and became a devilman yourself, you're involved now.”

“Look, I don't know that much about Zorc.” Ryou said, and it was the truth. “The person who knew the most about him passed on. All I know is that he has the powers of darkness, he wanted to destroy the world, and he apparently has it out for me. I don't want to be involved; I just want to go home and attempt to exorcise myself.”

“None of your occult nonsense is going to cure you of being a devilman, Bakura. Additionally, I can't just let you off the hook when you could interfere with our work if you ever lose control of your demon. I don't care if it was just bad luck. You have to be taken into account now.”

Asuka looked smug, and Bakura glared at him. He could feel the exhaustion in his bones from several adrenaline spikes and his earlier transformation. Willpower and spite alone were keeping him awake.

“It doesn't have to be all bad, right, Ryo?” Akira chimed, in making it unclear who he was talking to. “You can help, Bakura. You can fight the demons, too.”

Akira’s optimism reminded Bakura of Yugi. Yugi was going to freak out when he heard about this.

“I don't care if he helps or not,” Asuka said. “What we need is for Bakura to not interfere or go around telling people about demons and devilmen.”

“If this is really Zorc, then there are certain people who have to know,” Bakura said, and Asuka started glaring at him. “I have been possessed before and, if you must know, Zorc and number of other individuals were closely involved. If you don't want the only people who've ever beaten Zorc Necrophades to be unaware he's back, then you'll have to shoot me with that gun you waved around yesterday and make it so he isn't.”

Akira looked shocked by that declaration, and he looked over to Asuka, pleading with eyes. This was the first time he's met another devilman, and he didn't want it to end like that.

“If words spreads, I'll kill all of them,” Asuka threatened, but it was a concession that he made only for Akira's sake. “Regrettably, you're going to have to stay in touch, Bakura. The address of this location will be sent to your phone, and if you don't come by here at least every third day, you'll regret making me go find you.”

Bakura was still listening, but the longer this went on, the harder a time he had of it. This place didn't feel safe at all, even if Akira seemed invested in him not dying. He couldn't fall asleep here, even if his body only protested more with each passing moment.

“Uh, Ryo, Bakura doesn't look so good,” Akira said, shooting worried glances towards Bakura. Asuka was going to have to get Akira to be more clear when he spoke.

“If he passes out, that isn't my problem. I'm surprised he's still conscious at all. After you first transformed, you were out for quite awhile.” Akira huffed and Asuka looked smug.

“I can hear you,” Bakura said, slurring his words. He really didn't know how long he was going to be able to keep this up. Awareness was starting to fade in and out. Suddenly, he realized his face was pressed against something. Akira had put an arm around him without him noticing, and it knocked Bakura off balance. His face was pressed against Akira, and he would have been embarrassed if he were more conscious.

“Oops, he's out now.”

“Good job, Akira.”

\-----

Back in Ryou Bakura’s apartment, his phone was lighting up every few minutes or so.

57 text messages.

23 missed calls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Akira voice* same hat!!!!!
> 
> I wrote most of this chapter and got to the end of it without realizing Ryou was effectively shirtless for the entirety of the chapter. I laid down to go to bed and only then did i realize.
> 
> Hit me up on [tumblr](jewishmatsuda.tumblr.com) ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryou Bakura has to get back home and explain what happened to his friends. As much as he wishes he were done now, this is only the beginning.

In the morning, Ryo Asuka emerged from his bedroom to start his work for the day in the main living space. There was always work to be done, and Jenny would bring him something with which to sustain himself.

He entered the main living area of his penthouse and scowled. Ryou Bakura was right there, reminding him of all the new inconveniences he had to take into account now. Sitting down where he had the night before, Ryo clicked his tongue and opened his laptop. He'd find a way to make use of Bakura one way or another.

Akira was still present as well. Bakura was actually laying on top of him, since Akira was too nice to push him off or something like that. Ryo found himself annoyed, but he ignored it and got to work.

\-----

Ryou Bakura woke up slowly, gradually gaining awareness. It kept him from getting too shocked as he started to remember where he was and why.

Zorc. He was Zorc now. He could grow horns and claws and become a veritable god of darkness. He had gotten kidnapped. There were new people making his life interesting when he desperately wanted it to be dull.

Speaking of new people, he realized he was currently on top of one of them. While he was previously content to wake up slowly, Ryou was now feeling more pressure to be realistic and take stock of the situation at hand. In a smooth movement, he lifted himself up and off of Akira. He stretched without making a sound, working out a kink in his neck. Something smacked down onto the table in front of him, and he looked up with some healthy confusion on his face.

“Here's money to take the subway. Get out of my house.”

Bakura looked up from the cash to see that Asuka, who had spoken, wasn't even looking at him. Instead, he was typing away on his laptop just like last night. It went against his nature to take a wad of cash from someone. Aside from that, he was feeling particularly spiteful. “I don't want your money. Can't I just call my friends?”

“I don't care. Take the cash and leave.” Asuka deemed Bakura worthy enough for a brief glance. “You can't use my phone; I'm using it for my work. If you're going to be so obstinate as to not take the money, then you'll have to wait for Akira to wake up and ask to use his.”

Bakura was rather unhappy with that response. He looked over at Akira, searching for signs of if he was waking up, but there were none. Since he had already decided he would not be taking the cash, Bakura was left with no other option than to wait.

If he could wait for hours and days while locked inside his own head, he could deal with sitting there until Akira woke up. Thankfully, it wasn't too long before Bakura was done waiting. Soon enough, Akira was letting out a loud groan as he stretched out the sleep from his bones.

Akira opened his eyes, and he saw Ryo, and he saw Ryou. A grin spread widely on his face as he felt fondness for both of them. Ryo had been his best friend when they were kids. On the other hand, he had literally only met Ryou the last night, but they were both devilmen, and he instantly felt a connection because of that. Overall, Akira had a good feeling about Ryou Bakura.

“Good morning, Ryo, Ryou.” Akira snickered to himself. Asuka didn't even look over.

“Hey, uh, Akira,” Bakura started, scratching his cheek in a nervous gesture. “Could I use your phone for a minute? I'd like to call a friend to come pick me up.”

“Oh sure,” Akira said. He fished his phone out of his pocket and handed it over to Bakura, who nodded his thanks. After taking a moment to recall Yugi’s number, Bakura tapped it in and pressed the call button. It got through about half a ring before Bakura and Akira both recoiled at the yells coming from the speaker all at once.

_“Bakura, is that you?”_

_“Oh my god, are you okay?”_

_“Guys, shut up!”_

“Yes, hello, it's me. I'm fine. I'm okay,” Bakura said, having brought the phone back to his ear. He clicked the button on the side to lower the call volume. “I'm not in any immediate trouble, but, uh, if someone could come get me, that'd be nice. My phone is back at my apartment. I might be. I'd really like to leave this place, so it would be good to focus on that. That would work. I mean it, Honda's motorbike is fine. Okay, I'll get the address.”

As it was the most interesting thing happening in the room, Akira was watching Bakura speak on the phone. He looked weary, but Akira hadn't felt like a ray of sunshine the day after he got possessed either. Bakura turned towards him, and he passed on the address.

“That's the address,” Bakura said into the phone after passing the address along. “That's really it, 666. Put it in a GPS. No, Jounouchi, this has nothing to do with my personal interests. I'll explain later. Okay. Thank you. See you soon.”

Bakura hung up with a sigh, taking a moment to just breathe and pinch the bridge of his nose. Once collected, he handed the phone back to Akira.

“Thank you. You'll get a text when my friend gets here.”

“Cool,” Akira said, leaning back and opening up a brightly colored phone game. “I've got to get back to the Makimaru’s soon, so I'll walk you out when he gets here.”

Nodding, Bakura went back to his previous activity of sitting and waiting. Honda must have been really booking it, since it was only about twenty minutes later. Akira hopped up to his feet and gestured for him to follow.

“Come on, Bakura, your guy’s here,” he said, and Bakura quickly stood to follow him out. “Bye, Ryo, see you later!”

Akira showed Bakura the way out. He also explained how he should go about getting in, since he was expected to return. Bakura was particularly grateful, because Asuka was very clearly not interested in making this easier for him in any way.

“See you soon, Bakura. Don't let the changes scare you, ‘kay? We still have our human hearts.” Akira smiled widely at him.

“I'll see what I can do. Goodbye, Akira.” Ryou tried to smile back, but the results were questionable. The two of them parted ways.

Seeing Honda outside brought Ryou more relief than he could have expect, and he jogged over to him. He didn't even care that he'd need to ride on the motorbike.

“Woah, why aren't you wearing a shirt?” Honda asked, looking quite a bit thrown off by Bakura, of all people, having so much skin exposed. “And who was that guy?”

“Oh, um, there's a lot I need to explain,” Ryou said, averting his gaze. He looked back when he noticed Honda holding out his jacket to him. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Honda said. Ryou could feel his friend's eyes on him as he slid on the jacket. Just a day ago, it would have been looser on him. “Bakura, do you look different?”

“I have a lot to explain,” Ryou repeated. “Just wait until we get to Yugi’s place, okay? Speaking of, can we stop at my apartment first?”

“Of course.” Honda mounted his motorbike and gestured for Ryou to get on. “Come on, let's go.”

\-----

Ryou felt something akin to dread when they pulled up to the Kame Game Shop. There was a lot that he was going to have to explain, and his friends were more than a little excitable. Furthermore, there was a lot he still didn't know.

Spending a few minutes alone in his apartment collecting himself had done him some good. He had his phone now, and he had changed into clean clothes. Even if parts of his living space had gotten upturned, it was still somewhere he was able to be comfortable and by himself. The broken window was going to be a problem later.

“Let's get inside, Bakura,” Honda said, stopping his motorbike by the back entrance to the game shop. “Everyone is really worried about you.”

Honda looked back at him, and he stalled for one last moment before getting off the back of the motorbike. He smoothed out the cardigan he was swearing and took a deep breath. Honda slid off his bike, parking properly. The two of them walked up to the back door of the game shop, and Ryou stood strategically half behind Honda in case anyone tried to rush them when the door opened.

It was a smart move. Honda opened the door and Jounouchi smacked right into him.

“Ryou! I'm so glad you're okay,” said Yugi, who walked past Jou and Honda, so that he could pull Ryou inside. “We were all really worried when you weren't answering anyone last night. I know you said you're okay, but you're not hurt, right?”

“I didn’t get hurt,” Ryou said, letting Yugi bring him into the living room. It seemed that nearly everyone was there. “I'm sorry for worrying you all like that. A lot happened last night.”

Seeing an open, single chair, Ryou claimed it for himself. He didn't want to be crowded when he was already the center of attention. Jou and Honda came in behind himself and Yugi, sitting down on one of the couches.

“Um. Where should I start?” He scratched his cheek. “That guy from the other day is involved, but there was something else important that happened before he showed up again.”

“Try starting at the beginning, Bakura,” Anzu said, and she smiled at him patiently.

“Okay. Yeah. I’ll see what I can do. Please try not to get too worked up until I’m talking, okay?” Ryou started, trying to form thoughts into words. “On whim, I decided to go through my deck last night. I spotted a rogue card, but when I picked it up, I saw that it was a card for Zorc Necrophades–”

 

“You have a card for Zorc?” Jounochi shouted.

“–As I was saying, that isn’t a card I’ve ever own nor one that was ever made. After I picked up the card, I felt strange and found myself being surrounded by shadows. It felt like something was trying to take over me. As it turns out, Zorc was, indeed, trying to possess me. It was a lot different from when it was the spirit, too. What I learned this past night is that when Zorc tried to take over me, he lost and I won. I’ve also learned that this had some interesting side effects.”

“He lost? You were able to beat Zorc?” Yugi asked, looking over at him with wide eyes. “That’s amazing, Ryou.”

“I thought we had already beaten the snot out of that guy,” Jou said, annoyed. “And what do you mean by side effects? Are we gonna have to beat another spirit out of you?”

“Zorc was probably in an incredible weak state, and it’s hard to explain what happened to me when I beat him.” Ryou pinched the bridge of his nose, collecting himself. “I think it would be best to show you. Forgive me if this looks odd, but I don’t want to ruin my clothes.”

Everyone in the room looked appropriately confused when he stood up and took off his cardigan. He wasn't even wearing a shirt under it. It only got worse when he began to transform.

Before them now stood a Ryou Bakura they had never seen before. From his head, he had grown two sets of white horns: large ones that wrapped around his head and skinnier ones that went straight up from the top of his head. Purple, draconic wings extended from his back and there was a matching, scaled tail below them. His skin had taken on a shade with undertones of the dark purple color the Zorc was. Ryou’s scars had darkened, and they looks jagged cracks in his skin. The devilman that stood before Ryou Bakura’s friends was a large and imposing figure with claws and fangs, and they stared in awe.

Jounochi looked like he was about to piss himself.

“I think I can go further than this, but I’m not keen to try,” Ryou said, voice rougher than before. “I’m sorry this is frightening, but it was easier to just show you. I promise that I’m still the one in control. What happened was that I gained Zorc’s power.”

Closing his eyes, Ryou shifted back to normal, or at least his new normal. He didn’t look back up at anyone until he was sitting down, cardigan back on.

“Ryou, oh my god,” Yugi said, breaking the silence. “What are you going to do? We should get help.”

“No,” Ryou inserted quickly. “You can’t tell anyone else about this. Zorc is involved, so you all had the right to know, but nobody else can. There is an explicit threat behind that from the guy who waved a gun in my face the other day.”

“How is he involved?” Honda asked. “Is he why you were at that skyscraper? What the hell is going on, Bakura?”

“That’s the next part of the story. I’m getting to it,” Ryou said, frowning at his lap. He told them about being kidnapped and the words exchanged between himself, Ryo Asuka, and Akira Fudo. “Akira said that I’m like him. He called me a devilman. He’s who you saw me walk out of the building with, Honda.”

“I don’t like the idea of you going back there, Bakura,” Honda said with a frown. “What if that Asuka guy uses those threats of his to take advantage of you?”

“This is how it has to be, Honda,” Ryou said. “I need you all to believe that I can take care of myself and that I won’t let myself be anyone’s pawn anymore. Okay? I’m stronger now.”

“This all sounds really bad Ryou,” said Yugi, concern in his voice. “We’re your friends, though, so we’ll always be here to support you. If there’s ever something we can help you with, you can tell us. We just want to help.”

“I know, Yugi. That means a lot to me.” Ryou looked over to Yugi with a small smile. “Thank you all for, uh, listening and not freaking out or anything. I know that this all must have been a lot for you all. If any of you are suspicious of me now, I understand.”

As Ryou finished speaking, it was Jounochi who stood up and walked over to him, taking his hand and pulling him out of his chair. It was Jounochi who wrapped his arms around Ryou Bakura, leading the rest of those present to do the same.

Ryou felt like he could cry, but his tears had all dried up a long time ago. 

\-----

After all the talk, everyone had been in agreement that they needed to lighten the mood. The next few hours were spent playing games and, for the most part, everyone losing to Yugi. It had been a lot of fun, but Ryou was still relieved to excuse himself to go home. The past 24 hours had been particularly draining on him, and all he wanted was to recuperate.

The second he entered his apartment, his phone buzzed with a text from a number he didn't recognize.

_“You're welcome.”_

Ryou furrowed his brows and started looking around. It wasn't until he got to his bedroom that he realized what the text was about. His broken window had been replaced. He scowled. That was something he could have taken care of himself.

_“I was going to take care of that.”_

_“I don't give a shit.”_

Of course he didn't. A moment later, Ryou’s phone buzzed again.

_“You're coming over tomorrow, 8pm. Be prepared.”_

_“Duly noted.”_

Sighing, Ryou saved the number to his contacts under “Ryo Asuka.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the only thing I've done on ao3 that's made it to a third installment :')
> 
> If you're looking for a Devilman discord server, I just joined [this one](https://discord.gg/cfrnVH5)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to go demon hunting.

“Hey, Ryo, why didn't Bakura need a sabbath to get possessed?”

 

The sound of typing stopped as Ryo looked up at Akira. The question had been unexpected, especially when they hadn't been having much of a conversation. It actually took a moment for Ryo to formulate a response.

 

“Bakura appears to be something of a character,” Ryo said carefully. “My algorithm picked up on him because of his open association with occult, as well as rumors of possession from a few years ago. Then, Bakura stated directly to us that he did have some sort of past with the demon who merged with him. My theory is that a sabbath wasn't necessary because of that past association. It's possible that the demon already had a direct path to Bakura, and it only needed an opening.”

 

“Really?” Akira asked, propping his chin on his fist. “I wonder what happened to him. How could he even get possessed before last night in some other way?”

 

“I don't know,” Ryo said, and he didn't. He was calm about it outwardly, but it really quite perturbed him. “You can try asking him tomorrow, but he strikes me as the type who's a pain to get any information out of.”

 

“So then kind of like you,” Akira said with a grin. He was clearly teasing, but there was some truth to the statement. “Maybe we found your long lost alter ego!”

 

Ryo leveled Akira with a devastating bitch face and went back to his work. This failed to stop Akira from scooting closer until their shoulders touched. Ryo made him feel comfortable and happy, even when he was on the receiving end of some nasty looks.

 

“You know, you work too hard,” Akira said, nudging Ryo. “I don't even know what you're doing on that laptop of yours most of the time. Algorithms and emails and all that typing. It could be anything.”

 

“I have to pay for your endless food consumption somehow.”

 

“Hey!”

 

\-----

 

It was the next night, and Akira was once again doing fuck all in Ryo’s penthouse. At the very least, they were going to go out hunting. Akira was impatient, and he really wanted to get out there, but they were waiting for Bakura to show up. It was almost 8 pm, so at least it would be soon. Until that happened, he would have to preoccupy himself with phone games and shoving whatever food Jenny brought him down his gullet.

 

Akira was ripping the meat off of a chicken leg when Ryou Bakura made his entrance, and it was an entrance. He stared as Bakura strode in with a purpose, his long legs accentuated by the black trench coat that trailed behind them.

 

Why did everyone he meet have to be so attractive?

 

His musings were interrupted when Bakura slammed down some sort of figurine onto the coffee table. “This is Zorc Necrophades,” Bakura said. “He was a figure in my past who was directly involved with my first run in with possession. I do not currently feel like saying anything else on that matter. Zorc tried to end the world in a fiery apocalypse or something along those lines. His powers come from darkness itself, and he has domain over the shadow realm. You might find vague references to dark games and shadows in Egyptology, but most of the information is kept under lock and key.”

 

Akira really had no idea what Bakura was talking about, so he just stared at the way the black coat clung to Bakura’s upper arms. He filled it out really nicely.

 

“Would you care to further clarify any of that?” Ryo Asuka asked, observing the figurine. “We haven't exactly heard of any sort of shadow realm before.”

 

“Generally? Not particularly. I can tell you that the shadow realm is a source of power for shadow magic and soul magic. It's not within my rights to go further into detail than that.” Bakura said. He then looked over at Akira again. Evidently, he had figured out that he was being stared at. Bakura turned his gaze back to the figurine, a little more pink in the face than before.

 

“You have ultimately told us nothing helpful,” Ryo drawled.

 

“Maybe you'll find out more if we ever manage to get along, Asuka,” Ryou shot back, almost as if it were a challenge. This perturbed Asuka.

 

“Can we go demon hunting now?” Akira asked. As much as he liked staring at hot boys named Ryo(u), he was ready to go out and do something.

 

“Yes,” Ryo said, closing his laptop and standing up with purpose to move out. “Come on, Bakura, you're coming with. It'll be a learning experience.”

 

Akira jumped up to follow Asuka out, but he stopped by Bakura, who hadn't moved yet. He put a hand on Bakura’s shoulder, urging him to move. “Don't worry, you'll be fine. You have the power to fight them, and I'll protect you, too.”

 

In Akira's humble opinion, the frowny, almost scandalized face Bakura made when he winked at him was pretty cute. It reminded him of Miki. He laughed and nudged Bakura again, leading him out the door.

 

\-----

 

The three of them riding in Ryo’s car didn't go much better than the last time. If it were not for Akira being right at his heels, it may have been more of a pain just getting Bakura into the car. As it were, he had spent the duration of the drive gripping tightly onto the handle of the door he sat by. It was a small miracle that he hadn't broken it.

 

“Are you okay, Bakura?” Akira asked, when they all got out of the car.

 

“Oh, I'm lovely,” Bakura said, very clearly not meaning it. He didn't seem keen to talk about it, so Akira dropped it.

 

“This way,” Asuka said, already walking ahead of them with a gun in hand. “There are some demons hidden out in this warehouse. Sightings have been reported in the area for the last week. Tonight, they die.”

 

Akira followed after Asuka readily, but Bakura was more hesitant, following behind just fast enough that he wasn't being left behind. This wasn’t something he really wanted to participate in. Bakura didn't like transforming into Zorc, and he didn't like the idea of fighting. When Akira jumped in to fight the demons, Bakura stayed behind with Asuka, earning himself a scowl from him.

 

“You're a devilman. You should be fighting with Akira,” said, condescendingly. “You standing here is useless.”

 

“Akira seems to be doing fine on his own. I'd just get in the way.” Devilman was tearing the demons apart like nobody's business. He didn't need Bakura getting in the way. “How long did it take him to learn to fight like that?”

 

The conversation was paused by a gun shot on Asuka's part. “He didn't. Devilman fights off of instinct. You should be doing it too, Bakura. That is, unless you're afraid.”

 

In all likelihood, he was trying to goad Bakura into transforming. However, Bakura already knew he was right. He had seen and experienced what the shadows could do, and he was afraid of what power he might have or who he might hurt. His hesitancy was with reason, and being goaded wasn't going to work on him.

 

“Akira!” Asuka yelled out, firing his gun again, and Bakura’s eyes shot up. A larger demon had appeared and thrown Akira across the warehouse. Now, Bakura didn’t need to think twice about.

 

Asuka looked over to Bakura, ready to yell at him, but he was faced with a discarded trench coat. Zorc was now a part of the fray.

 

“You put Amon's powers to shame—" The demon was cut off mid-gloat as he was hit by a shadowy blast from Bakura’s extended fist. Now the demon was the one thrown across the warehouse, and a foot came down hard on its chest soon after. “Who the hell are you?”

 

“A devilman.”

 

“Yeah!” Akira shouted, zooming back towards Bakura and the demon. He yanked off the pinned demon’s head, and a stream of yellow blood came out. “That was great!”

 

One last smaller demon came up behind Bakura, but before it reached him, he shot out a hand towards it. From that hand came shadows, which seemed to completely consume the demon. As they dissipated, there was no sign that the demon had even been there. No blood. No gore. Bakura jumped back, shifting out of his demon form in an instant. “Oh my god. Oh no.”

 

“Bakura, wait, that was cool,” Akira called out as Bakura ran back towards Asuka and his discarded trench coat. Shifting back to human as well, Akira went after him.

 

“Hey, Bakura,” Asuka said, gripping onto the fabric of the trench coat Bakura had just slid back on. “Where do you think you're going? You're getting back in the car with us. We didn't have much time to talk earlier, but there's plenty now.”

 

Bakura was silent as Asuka held onto his coat, and he was silent still as Akira caught up to them and got right in his face. “What's wrong? You did really good.”

 

“I'm sure Bakura will let us know exactly what he needs to once we get back to my place, Akira,” Asuka said, letting go of Bakura’s trench coat and walking back towards the car. “We're leaving.”

 

“I'm sorry,” Bakura said quietly to Akira. He ran a hand through his bangs. Pulling himself together, he started moving. “I'll be fine. Come on, Akira. We wouldn't want Asuka to feel the need to yell at us.”

 

\-----

 

It was becoming a familiar scene, the three boys sitting tensely in Ryo Asuka’s penthouse. All eyes were on Bakura.

 

“That demon, the smaller one I attacked. I don't think it's perfectly dead in the traditional sense of the word,” Bakura started, looking down at his knees. “I think what happened is that I transported it to another plane. If demons have souls, that one is likely in its own personal hell.”

 

“Would that plane happen to be that shadow realm you mentioned before?” Asuka asked, not looking quite convinced. “What are the chances of it getting out?”

 

“If these demons are unfamiliar with the shadows, then it's close to zero,” Bakura said. “It takes intimate familiarity to escape.”

 

“It sounds like you might be talking from experience, hm, Bakura?” Asuka said, prodding deeper than he had the right to. Bakura balked, closing himself off more and tugging on the collar of his trench coat.

 

Akira, meanwhile, looked pretty confused. “I don't get it. How were you able to do that?”

 

“I'm honestly not sure. No one really knows all of what Zorc was capable of,” Bakura said. He was tense, and his arms and legs were both crossed. “However, when a demon disappears into shadows, I can make a few assumptions.”

 

“Consider yourself on call, Bakura. If there's ever anything big happening, you will be notified, and you will show up.” Asuka gave the order without any room for protest. “You're free to go.”

 

That was all that Bakura needed to hear to get the hell out of there. Akira was disappointed by the lack of a “goodbye.” Bakura worried him sometimes.

 

\-----

 

The next time Bakura came over, as per his requirement, it was just Ryo who was present. It was only mid-afternoon, and Akira wouldn't be present for some time. The two devilmen were getting along extraordinarily well, and Ryo wasn't sure how he felt about it. Though, he did feel something. 

 

Ryo didn't have anything he wanted to say to Bakura, but he was still insisting that he stayed for an hour or so. It was likely inconvenient, but Ryo got some vindictive pleasure out of inconveniencing Bakura. For the most part, Ryo wasn't even paying attention to the other man in the room. He was far more concerned with his own work. He was in the middle of typing out a very important email when a sudden burst of pop music filled the room and then stopped abruptly. It took him a moment for him to identify the language as Arabic.

 

“Marik?” Bakura said, and Ryo looked over to confirm that he had received a phone call. “What? Oh, shit, I meant to call you. I know, the past week has been really hectic for me. I get it, I should have called you. I'm fine. I can't talk about that right now, I'm not at home. About that—"

 

Somewhere amongst listening to the one-sided conversation, Ryo had made a decision. He stood up, strode over to Bakura, and snatched the phone out of his hand.

 

“Is this the Marik responsible for Ryou Bakura getting stabbed and electrocuted,” Ryo said into the receiver, recalling what he had overheard before Bakura was possessed. This was followed by a pause, and then Bakura and Marik speaking at the same time.

 

“Asuka, no. Give that back.”

 

_ “Who the fuck is this? What did you do to Ryou? I'll fucking kill you!” _

 

“This  _ is _ Ryo. Professor Ryo Asuka,” he said, smugly. “I think you may have done more harm to Bakura than I have. In the week I've known him, he's yet to be injured.”

 

_ “Listen here, punk,” _ Marik said on the other end of the line. _ “You have no idea what the fuck you're talking about. Put Bakura back on.” _

 

“I'll think about it.” Ryo currently had no plans to do that. “Are you Egyptian, Marik? Would you happen to be part of why Bakura refuses to go into detail about his demon? You see, this is very important for protecting humanity. Lack of cooperation may as well be a death sentence for humankind.”

 

Bakura had relented, and he had dropped his face into his hands. He was quite the picture of resigned depression.

 

_ “Uh huh, sure, I don't care,” _ Marik had a mocking tone to his voice.  _ “You're the guy who kidnapped my best friend, so I don't think you deserve any fucking answers from me. You should be the one telling me what your deal is.” _

 

“My ‘deal’ is protecting humanity from demons,” Ryo said, continuing his faux pleasantries. “Bakura got involved in my work, and now he is of my concern. Since it's my work, it's not something for you to be concerned with.”

 

_ “How about you go fuck yourself? Tell Bakura I'll call him back. Or don't. I don't need a piece a piece of shit like you to get a message to him.” _

 

The line went dead, and Ryo tossed the phone back to Bakura. Unexpectedly, he managed to catch it without looking. Show off.

 

“Bakura, is Marik your best friend?” Ryo asked, knowing full well that it was a loaded question.

 

“He's a good friend of mine,” Bakura said, but he hesitated. “Our pasts were intertwined.”

 

“Have you forgiven him?” Again, Ryo was pushing the limits, seeing how far he could prod and then prodding too hard anyway.

 

“That's not something I feel the need to discuss with you, Asuka,” Bakura said coldly. “I've yet to forgive you.”

 

“So be it.” Waving a hand dismissively, Ryo sat back down to continue working. “Forgive me or don't; it hardly matters. Either way, you work for me now.”

 

Those words struck Bakura in a way Asuka had yet to accomplish. The typing started up again, and Bakura was left feeling numb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really am super grateful to everyone reading this. It's a super niche story, and my one-shot almost immediately got more attention, but I'm absolutely dedicated to this story. It means a lot to me that there are people still reading and enjoying this. Every comment I get is super validating, and it gives me the motivation to keep writing.
> 
> Thanks so much!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marik Ishtar is fucking pissed, and Ryo Asuka is having none of it.

Everything was different yet still the same.

 

Since becoming a devilman, Ryou Bakura had been exercising a high degree of self control. He could feel the ways that Zorc had shifted his personality and demeanor. The need to lash out and be cold was strong, but he kept it in check. Ryou kept the changes inside of himself private and away from those they might worry.

 

The changes he didn't have as much control over were the more carnal ones. He was going through food a lot faster, and he was masturbating daily. The latter probably wasn't weird for other men his age, but it was a notable difference for Ryou. He tried not to think about it too much.

 

Ryou let a breath out through his nose as he reached his apartment building. This was the third day in a row he had gone out to the grocery store, and he was lamenting the thought that his father might notice the spike in his spending. He was thinking about using some of his own money from commissions to mitigate costs, but that train abruptly stopped when he reached his door.

 

It was already unlocked.

 

“Fucking come inside already!” came a muffled voice from past the door. Ryou now desperately did not wish to do that, but he did it anyway.

 

Marik Ishtar was an absolute madman.

 

“You have a lot of explaining to do, Ryou Bakura.”

 

\-----

 

Akira went to visit Ryo earlier than he normally did, before he even had dinner with the Makimura family. With Bakura also coming over to the penthouse regularly, Akira didn't get as much quality, one on one time with his best friend. It wasn't that he disliked Bakura. The opposite was true, but he still wanted some time with just him and Ryo.

 

Everything was great. Ryo was doing some sort of business on his phone, but Akira was laying with his head on Ryo’s lap and a big smile on his face.

 

“Hmm.” Ryo made a sound and Akira looked up at him. “Bakura just sent me a foreboding text.”

 

“What does it say?”

 

“All it says is ‘incoming.’”

 

Akira perked up, hearing some noise in the distance. He sat up and frowned, staring in the direction of the entrance to the penthouse. Squinting, he tensed with anticipation.

 

There came the sound of the door bursting open followed by a shout from Bakura.

 

“Asuka, I am so sorry. I couldn't stop him.”

 

Standing up Akira moved closer and was met by the two men who had entered the penthouse. Bakura was half-heartedly holding back a man with dark skin and blond hair. They looked exasperated and angry, respectively.

 

“Bakura, who the hell is this?” Akira asked.

 

“Get him the fuck out of here or I'll shoot him,” Ryo called from the couch. He already had a gun out.

 

“You motherfuckers—”

 

“Please don't,” Bakura yelled, cutting off Marik and slamming a hand over his mouth. “He can tell you things that I can't. Things about the shadows.”

 

Ryo put his gun onto the coffee table, a gesture which meant ‘go on.’ Bakura took his hand off of Marik’s mouth.

 

“My name is Marik Ishtar,” Marik announced, shrugging off Bakura and marching past a befuddled Akira. Bakura smiled awkwardly at Akira, apologetic. “You dragged Ryou into your bullshit, Asuka, and I'm not okay with you thinking you can control him.”

 

“Last I checked, Mr. Ishtar, you are not Bakura,” Asuka said, tongue sharp. “Perhaps you haven't been well informed, but what we have with Bakura is an arrangement that he agreed to.”

 

Akira looked over at Bakura, kind of wanting an explanation. He looked like he thought the world was about to end, so Akira patted his back. This was all very confusing for him, but it looked like Akira would have to wait to ask any questions.

 

“As if you don't know that you coerced him,” Marik shot back at Asuka. “Ryou had been through enough without an asshole like you forcing him to go through more.”

 

“Marik, please stop,” Ryou Bakura said, sounding quite dead inside. “I already told you that I'm fine. This is fine. It's fine.”

 

“You don't sound too fine, Bakura,” Akira said, not being particularly helpful.

 

Marik looked over his shoulder at Akira. “I like you.”

 

“Hey,” Asuka barked out, getting attention back on him. “If you aren't going to tell me anything useful, Ishtar, then get the fuck out.”

 

“Fine. Have you heard of the Millennium Items?”

 

“No, I have not.”

 

“Good,” Marik said, looking smug. “I wouldn't bother trying to look them up. My family is the reason you won't find any information on them. I'm sure you've already failed to find anything useful about shadow magic.”

 

Ryo looked angrier than before. “Get to something informative or get out.”

 

“The shadows are a form of magic that originated in Ancient Egypt,” Marik said. He had long decided that he wasn't going to tell Asuka very much. By coming here, though, he had conceded to giving away some information. “It's a very powerful magic with a life of its own, and the judgements it makes are final. The shadows like Ryou, so he should be able to use their magic without much issue. That's all you're getting from me.”

 

“Leave.”

 

“With fucking pleasure,” Marik said, turning to leave with dramatic flair. “See you at home, Ryou.”

 

The room was silent until they heard the sound of a door closing. Bakura released the breath he had been holding, slumping his shoulders.

 

“Is he your roommate, Bakura?” Akira asked, peering at his friend's face, maybe getting a little too close.

 

“He came here from Egypt, so he's sleeping on my couch,” Bakura said.

 

“Really?” Asuka interjected. “I'm surprised he hasn't been killed for being a homosexual.”

 

Ryou Bakura gaped at Ryo Asuka. Bakura could feel himself slowly dying. He slumped in on himself so much that he nearly tipped over. Akira had thought he was going to fall and put a steadying arm around him.

 

“I don't see what you're so surprised by,” Asuka said. Akira could see that he looked pleased with himself. “So sensitive. You best sit down before you faint, Bakura.”

 

“I resent that,” Bakura muttered. Akira snickered.

 

“To be fair, he doesn't seem like the brightest after hardly reacting to a gun threat.”

 

“Well, I didn't react much either,” Bakura said, sighing. “He actually has a decent reason; he used to run a criminal organization.”

 

“Interesting.”

 

The rest of the night went fine. Ryo was no longer in the mood to have Akira lay on him, so he laid back against Bakura instead. The blush on his face had been worth initially being shoved to the floor.

 

\-----

 

It caught Ryo off guard when, the very next day, Bakura walked into his penthouse. He wore the same black coat that he seemed to favor, but he looked somehow darker this time. Ryo was going to simply ignore him, but he was surprised further when Bakura continued his approach and sat down beside him.

 

“I thought I was finally going to have control of my life. When everything ended nearly two years ago, that is.”

 

Bakura was quiet, calm. However, something about how he spoke and held himself demanded attention. Ryo resented him for it.

 

“I've never really got to have control of my own life. When I was four, my father gave me an item from Egypt. This item was host to a malevolent spirit under Zorc’s influence, and so was I after that. Imagine that, hardly remembering a time where you didn't have random blackouts or didn't find your friends in comas. The spirit would lure home anyone I tried to he friends with, and he put their souls into Monster World figurines. A couple years after I got the item, my mother and sister passed away. I raised myself after that, since my father was too afraid and upset to stick around very long.”

 

“Why are you telling me this?” Ryo asked, unable to understand all this unprompted giving of information. “Are you trying to make me feel guilty?”

 

“I doubt I could do that,” said Bakura. He wasn't even looking at Ryo. “What I'd like is to give you perspective. I don't know what kind of life you've lived, but I ask that you really think about what I tell you.”

 

Ryo was silent, but he stared at Bakura.

 

“There were more items like mine, and they all had a fate to fulfill. I moved from England to Japan, and I first encountered another item when I was 16. Up until then, I could avoid blackouts by isolating myself. After, though, the spirit had fully awakened, and he took control of my body frequently. There were a couple of times I was able to stop him from killing my new friends, but he locked me away inside my own mind. He scarred my body, and I think I cheated death because of him. When he was finally defeated, I woke up, and he was just gone. For more than a decade of my short life, I was host to a spirit, and then he was gone. Just like that. He was my ancestor, corrupted by Zorc.”

 

Bakura paused, and he finally looked over at Ryo. His eyes were tired and glossy, so it was a bit surprising how coherent Bakura was being.

 

“This is stupid, huh? You have no sympathy for me, but I wouldn't want it anyway. My friends worry about me too much, and even Marik is too guilty to be helpful. I said I wanted to give you perspective, but I suppose that isn't quite right. I wanted to talk without making anyone worry. I wanted to tell someone who wouldn't care. That's really what this is, isn't it?”

 

“If anything, I'm questioning your mental stability,” Ryo tutted. “If your demon takes control, I'm going to kill you.”

 

“That bastard isn't in charge here,” Bakura spat out, a dark grin on his face. He moved closer to Ryo. “This is his fault, though. Zorc has started sending me terrible visions when I try to sleep. I'll get used to it, but forgive me for being shaken after witnessing genocide through the eyes of my ancestor. Terrible things happen in this world, Asuka. It makes you want to destroy everything and kill anyone with darkness in their hearts.”

 

“Don't they deserve it?” Ryo offered, perfectly able to follow that line of thought.

 

“Maybe, but would it be worth it?” Bakura was now staring Ryo in the eyes. “I've seen awful things, but I've seen the opposite as well. I've seen how humanity is at their best, working together to help out those in need. My friends defeated the spirit, and they defeated Zorc. It sounds cliche as hell, but they did it with friendship. Seto Kaiba and Marik Ishtar were both changed by my friends. Because of friendship, they were able to cast away some of the darkness in their hearts.”

 

For a second, Ryo thought he saw Bakura’s eyes water. A second later they were dry again.

 

“You look sad,” Bakura said, but Ryo was certain that Bakura was the one who looked sad between the two of them. “Humanity has failed me several times, and fate has been cruel to me as well. I got control of my life, and then I got possessed a second time. It taught me something else cliche, though, Asuka. It taught me that there's always a way to fight back and preserve who you are, even if you're still figuring it out.”

 

That was very cliche, as was promised. Ryo continued to stare, and Bakura had to nerve to smile at him. Not once had he seen Bakura even fake a smile before this interaction, but here he was with a bittersweet expression and a genuine fucking smile. What kind of fool was Bakura to give something like that to him? He said it himself, Ryo didn't care. Why would Bakura then waste something so precious?

 

“You shouldn't be a devilman, Bakura. You should have died, but you're a fluke instead.” Ryo’s words were harsh, and he grabbed Bakura by the collar. What Ryo wanted was to punch him. What he did was kiss him.

 

Everything was still for a moment until Bakura yielded. For a whole minute, they stayed like that and kissed, moving their lips in tandem by some accident. Then, they both came to their senses and turned away from one another.

 

“You should leave,” Ryo said.

 

“I should leave,” Ryou repeated.

 

Bakura left the penthouse. Ryo refused to think about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter out! Hope y'all liked the surprise as the end.
> 
> Ryou and Ryo technically do have the same name. The "u" I put in Ryou Bakura os pretty redundant, but it's how his name os usually translated. Having their first names be spelled different is more useful to me narratively.

**Author's Note:**

> Catch me on [tumblr](http://jewishmatsuda.tumblr.com/)  
> [twitter ](https://twitter.com/blingeekingdave?s=09)
> 
> check out art I've done for the crossover
> 
> [Devilman!Ryou Bakura](http://jewishmatsuda.tumblr.com/post/171066364837)   
>  [The Ryo(u)s](http://jewishmatsuda.tumblr.com/post/170916483277/devilman-crybaby-is-my-new-hyperfixation-so-ofc-i)


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